Berkovets

/bɛrˈkoʊvəts/ noun

Definition

An old Russian unit of weight equal to about 40 pounds or roughly 10 kilograms, used historically for trade and commerce.

Etymology

From Russian 'berkovets' (берковец), possibly derived from 'Novgorod' or related to Old Slavic trade terminology. Historically used throughout the Russian Empire.

Kelly Says

Before metric systems standardized measurements, every region had their own quirky weights—the berkovets connected Russian merchants to their Byzantine and Arabic trading partners, each with different weight systems.

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